Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I want to thank all the witnesses for coming today, and for their testimony. We're taking notes, and we'll be taking everything you've said under advisement in our consideration of this bill.
Going forward, though, we do have another urgent issue that we're facing in this country, and it is the issue of auto theft. In the interests of allowing this committee to continue working on Bill C-26, but also to walk and chew gum at the same time and deal with the urgent issue of auto thefts in this country, I plan to be moving my motion that I put on notice at the last committee meeting to discuss. However, given that there have been some discussions with the other parties present, we have come forward with proposed amendments to this motion so that we can program this committee to work simultaneously on Bill C-26 while also working on the very important issue of auto theft.
We know that in 2022, the latest year that auto theft insurance statistics were made available, $1.2 billion in auto theft claims were made. We know that over 100,000 vehicles were stolen in Canada last year. This is a growing issue. It has increased, year over year, 50% in the provinces of Ontario and Quebec. It's a cross-Canada issue. Alberta is the third highest on the auto theft issue. This is a very important issue in my riding and I am very concerned.
We do need education to help people know what tools are available to them to help protect their vehicles from auto theft. However, at the same time, if the federal government does not take action to secure our ports and to put these repeat offenders behind bars, I fear that we are going to see an increase in the brazenness of these criminal acts, including violence committed against our citizens, if we don't take action to immediately put a chokehold on this unprecedented flow of Canadians' vehicles out of, particularly, the port of Montreal.
I understand, Mr. Chair, that my colleague, Larry Brock, is on the speaking list and will be next to speak. In the interests of ensuring that this committee can continue with its very important study of Bill C-26, but also continue and accelerate the study that was already agreed upon by this committee on October 23, on the motion put forward by our colleague in the Bloc Québécois, Ms. Michaud, I will cede the floor to my colleague, Mr. Brock, so that he can move the appropriate amendment.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.